: Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

 

tudents are among the

most frequent—and at
times, excessive—users of
caffeine. An average class is
full of cups of delicious drinks
providing students the energy
they need to get through the
day, no matter what time it
is. Caffeinated beverages are
even more prevalent during
the winter months now, asa
new semester begins. Though
the ritual of sipping a morning
coffee or a can of Monster
during a three-hour evening
lecture is a routine and mostly
harmless for most students, it’s
important to be aware of the

side-effects.
Overconsumption of
caffeine can lead to crashes,
exhaustion, general panic or
nausea, and a ruined sleep
schedule. While caffeine
often leads to better focus and
productivity, it’s quite easy to
overindulge and be left with a
disorganized and unfocussed

    
    

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a

: state of mind. Many of us can
: relate to the feeling of being

: so over-caffeinated that we

: didn’t know what to do or how
: to react. With every student

: having a different level of

: tolerance and there being a

: varying amount of caffeine in

: drinks, having just the right
amount can be difficult. For

: some, a mug of green tea is

: plenty to get them through

: the morning. For others—

: particularly addicted users—

: nothing less than two big cans
of Red Bull is sufficient. It’s all

: about using the proper dosage.

Tea is the least potent of

: caffeinated beverages. A six-

: ounce cup of tea contains from
: 30 to 90 milligrams of caffeine,
: according to HopkinsMedicine.
: org. Herbal teas (usually the

: kinds with a special flavour)

: generally contain less than 15

: milligrams—not a significant

: amount to give any kind of

: buzz. Green and traditional

: teas are where the caffeine takes :

: hold.

Although 30 to 90

: milligrams is not a lot, many
: teas served contain more than
: one serving. A tall drink at

A

Carefulcontrolof _.
caffeine consumption

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Contact: Chitwan Khosla, Features Editor

M features@theotherpress.ca

www.theotherpress.ca

» Coffee, colas, and collective cafe chains

: Starbucks contains 12 ounces,
: agrande 16, and a venti 20— :
: meaning a large serving of green :
: tea at Starbucks contains around :
: 140 milligrams of caffeine. For
most people who dont have :
: caffeine every day, this serving is :
: more than enough to keep them :
active and get through what

: needs to be done.

Next comes coffee, the

: most popular and accessible of
: the caffeinated beverages. The

: milligram dosage in this drink

: varies significantly depending

: on the type of coffee. The

: difference between instant,

: home-brewed, take-out, and

: premium coffee can mean up

: to double the normal dosage.

: Generally, an eight-ounce. cup

: of coffee contains at least 100

: milligrams of caffeine—three

: times the amount of a similarly
: sized cup of tea. This means

: an extra large double-double

: at Tim Hortons or McDonald’s
: contains between 300 and 350

milligrams of caffeine. The

: number is even higher fora
: coffee this size at Starbucks or

: any other premium coffee chain. :

Espresso, a concoction

: produced through a process

: involving hot water and coffee
: beans, is widely known for its

higher caffeine content and

is a single ounce—which only
contains about 40 milligrams

of caffeine. A double espresso
: from Starbucks actually only
: contains 80 milligrams of
caffeine—much less than

> a16-ounce grande coffee.

: However, this dosage hits the
: body all at once instead of being :
: absorbed slowly as a drink
is drunk—hence a different

: feeling.

Finally there are the

: carbonated caffeinated drinks
: which include colas and energy :
: drinks. A standard can of Coke
: contains only 35 milligrams,

: even less than a cup of green

: tea. However, the servings of

: soft drinks at places like a movie :
: theatre or an unlimited refill

: restaurant can multiply this

: amount many times. Still, for
: an occasional caffeine user, a
: can of Coke might be just the

convenient boost needed.
Energy drinks, which

explicitly exist for their

A =

: caffeine content, should
: be carefully monitored.. A
: small 250-millilitre can of
: strong flavour—there’s a reason
: it comes in shots and not cups.
: But in fact, a shot of espresso

Red Bull has 80 milligrams

: of caffeine—still slightly less

: thanacup of coffee. A larger

: 473-millilitre can of Monster

: has 160 milligrams of caffeine.
The amounts may surprise

; some people, as it’s far easier

: to get a high caffeine dosage

: froma coffee shop than from

: an energy drink. It’s part of why
: seeing students drink more

coffee than energy drinks is not

> uncommon.

There are of course other

: ways to consume caffeine. Many
: pharmacies or supplement
: stores sell caffeine pills (each

pill usually has 100 or 200

: milligrams) and even some

: candies or gums contain

: caffeine. It’s very important

: to be aware of your limits and

how much youre consuming

: when getting caffeinated. Most
: products have the caffeine

: amount listed either on the

: label, or can be researched

: online. Research and

: responsibility go a long way

: to have the best experience

: with this wonderful

: stimulating drug.